Working with MediaPlayer and ExoPlayer in Android Development

In Android development, media playback (audio and video) is a common requirement. Android provides two powerful tools for media playback: the MediaPlayer and ExoPlayer. In this article, we'll explore how to use both to handle media in your app with Kotlin.

Using MediaPlayer

The MediaPlayer class is a built-in Android API that allows you to play audio and video files. It supports local resources and media from the internet.

Step 1: Add Permissions

If you're streaming media over the internet, make sure to add the necessary permissions to your AndroidManifest.xml file:

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

Step 2: Using MediaPlayer to Play Audio

To use MediaPlayer, you first need to create an instance, set the data source, and start the playback.

    import android.media.MediaPlayer
    import android.os.Bundle
    import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity

    class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

        private var mediaPlayer: MediaPlayer? = null

        override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
            super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
            setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

            // Initialize MediaPlayer
            mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(this, R.raw.sample_audio)

            // Start playing the audio
            mediaPlayer?.start()
        }

        override fun onDestroy() {
            super.onDestroy()
            // Release the MediaPlayer when the activity is destroyed
            mediaPlayer?.release()
        }
    }

In this example:

  • We initialize a MediaPlayer instance with a sample audio file stored in the res/raw folder.
  • The audio starts playing automatically when the activity is created.
  • We release the MediaPlayer when the activity is destroyed to free up resources.

Using ExoPlayer

ExoPlayer is a more powerful media player that provides support for adaptive streaming (HLS, DASH), better performance, and customizability. It's the recommended player for more complex media tasks.

Step 1: Add Dependencies

To use ExoPlayer, you need to add its dependency to your project. In your build.gradle (Module: app) file, add the following:

    dependencies {
        implementation 'com.google.android.exoplayer:exoplayer:2.16.1'
    }

Step 2: Using ExoPlayer to Play Video

ExoPlayer is ideal for handling video playback, especially when streaming media. Here's an example of how to use ExoPlayer to play a video.

    import android.os.Bundle
    import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
    import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
    import com.google.android.exoplayer2.MediaItem
    import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.PlayerView

    class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

        private lateinit var player: ExoPlayer

        override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
            super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
            setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

            val playerView: PlayerView = findViewById(R.id.playerView)

            // Initialize ExoPlayer
            player = ExoPlayer.Builder(this).build()

            // Set the media item (video URL or local file)
            val mediaItem = MediaItem.fromUri("https://www.example.com/sample_video.mp4")
            player.setMediaItem(mediaItem)

            // Prepare and start the player
            player.prepare()
            player.play()

            // Bind the player to the PlayerView
            playerView.player = player
        }

        override fun onPause() {
            super.onPause()
            // Release the player when the activity is paused
            player.pause()
        }

        override fun onDestroy() {
            super.onDestroy()
            // Release the ExoPlayer instance
            player.release()
        }
    }

Layout XML for PlayerView

    <com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.PlayerView
        android:id="@+id/playerView"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

In this example:

  • We use the ExoPlayer to create a player instance and configure it with a video source.
  • We initialize the PlayerView in the layout to display the video.
  • The video starts playing as soon as the player is prepared.
  • We release the player resources when the activity is paused or destroyed to avoid memory leaks.

Step 3: Handling Playback Events

ExoPlayer provides several playback events like buffering, state changes, etc. You can listen to these events by using a Player.Listener.

    player.addListener(object : Player.Listener {
        override fun onPlaybackStateChanged(state: Int) {
            when (state) {
                Player.STATE_READY -> {
                    // Player is ready to play
                }
                Player.STATE_BUFFERING -> {
                    // Player is buffering
                }
                Player.STATE_ENDED -> {
                    // Playback ended
                }
            }
        }
    })

Comparison of MediaPlayer and ExoPlayer

While both MediaPlayer and ExoPlayer allow you to play audio and video, ExoPlayer offers more advanced features such as:

  • Support for adaptive streaming protocols like HLS, DASH, and Smooth Streaming.
  • Better performance for large files or high-definition content.
  • More flexibility for adding custom behaviors like skipping, fast-forward, or playback speed adjustments.

For simple use cases such as playing local audio or video files, MediaPlayer might be sufficient. However, if you're dealing with streaming or need more advanced features, ExoPlayer is the better choice.

Conclusion

Both MediaPlayer and ExoPlayer are excellent choices for playing media in your Android app. MediaPlayer is simpler and suitable for most cases, while ExoPlayer offers more control, flexibility, and performance for complex media playback scenarios, especially when dealing with streaming content.




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